Safety switch



Aug- 1, 1933- s. s. PRINCE 1,920,713

SAFETY SWITCH Filed Nov. 25, 1952 Inventor 'amaeZ/frzzzae,

,/qllomey Patented Aug. 1n, 1933 P'TEN SAFETY SWITCH Samuel S. Prince, Binghamton, N. Y.

Application November 25,

1932. seria1No.644,3'z7 l n 2 Claims.` (Cl. 20o- 158) The object of this invention is to provide a switch adapted to be arranged in the battery circuit oi an automobile for breaking the circuit when the automobile is not in use whereby to provide a so-called dead battery circuit which will eliminate iire hasards. v

A still further object of the invention is toprovide a switch of the character above mentioned, which is comparatively simple in construction, consists of but relatively few parts, can be easily supported from a floor board Yof the automobile, and quickly and easily arranged within the battery circuit.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional' elevational view'taken through the improved switch, certain parts being broken away and the switch shownv in an opened position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of theV switch.

With reference more in detail to the drawing,

w it will be seen that my improved switch com-l prises a box like casing 3 formed of suitable insulating material, and provided at its top with a removable cover plate 4 that may be bolted or otherwise secured to the floor board oran automobile.

Arranged in the bottom of the box like casing 3 is a pair of opposed fixed contact blocks 5--5, each of which is provided with a terminal connector 6 extending downwardly through the bottom of the box like casing 3.

The blocks 5 taper toward their upper ends to provide opposed `conical faces with which contact the inclined faces of vertically movable bridge contact blocks 7 that taper longitudinally toward its lower end for movement vertically into and out of position between the contactblocks 5. The bridge Contact 7 is threadedly engaged or otherwise secured to the lower end of a rod 8, the upper threaded end ofwhich extends through an opening provided in the cover` plate 4. -A spring 9 is convoluted aboutV the rod 8 between the top of the bridge contact block 7 and cover plate 4 for normally urging'the rod 8 downwardly of the casing. The upper threaded end of rod 8 has threaded engagement with a tubular rod l0 the lower edge of which rests on a washer 11 disposed circumjacent the rod 8 and supported on the cover plate 4. i

The tubular rod extends through the top of a cylindrical housing 12 bolted at its lower end as at 13 tothe cover plate 4. The upper outer end of the tubular rod l0 is provided with` a handle 14 and spaced downwardly from the handle 14 is equipped with a collar 15 engageable with the top: of the tubular housing 12 whereby to prevent longitudinal displacement ofthe tubular rod 7* 10 so that the rod 10 is constrained to rotate about a vertical axis. i

In actual practice, the cover plateV is bolted l to the floor board of van automobile, the casing 3 extending througha suitable opening provided tated toward the left in Figure 1 causing rod 8 to move vertically downwardly whereby bridge contact block 7 is moved into engagement with the contact block 5 `for closing the switch and com- 5 pleting the battery circuit. .When the automobile is not in use, and it is desired to break or cause a dead battery circuit rod 10 is rotated in the opl posite direction, causing rod 8 to move upwardlygs0 into the rod 10 thus raising the bridge contact block '7 outV of engagement vwith the contact block 5 thus interrupting the battery circuit.

Whenthe circuit is thus interrupted, it will be apparent that the possibility of fire, as would otherwise be caused were theVv battery circuit left uninterrupted, is obviated. Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same issusceptible of further changes, modications and 'i improvements'coming within the scope of the ap- I pended claims.

Having vthus described my invention,A what I f claim as new is:

1. A circuit controlling switch comprising af casing, a pair of fixed contacts. arranged in said casing,y a cylindrical housing supported on one f' vand extending into said` casing, a contact on said` i e threaded rod for movement therewith into and and out of engagement with said iirst mentioned f I contacts, and ja spring convoluted about said threaded rod and interposed between said mov- .able contact and said one wall of said casing.

2. An electric switch of the class described comprising a casing of insulating material and 1910 rectangular in cross section, a pair of contacts l xed in the bottom ofthe casingand having opposed faces oppositely inclined, a lid secured to the top of the casing, a tubular housing secured at one end to the lid, an operating rod rotatablyvv Y conned in the housing between one Wall thereof and the lid against longitudinal movement rela-y tive to the housing, a shank extending through an aperture in the lid and having threaded en gagement with the tubular. rod, and a wedge shaped Contact member engaged .With one end of Vthe stem and having sides thereof arranged to engage the inclined sides of the ixed contacts,y 

